Door latch



July 16, 1940. w. R. SCHLAGE DOOR LATCH Filed June 18," 1937 2Sheets-Sheet l 7 1M 'EA' TOR.

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ATTORNEY:

Patented July 16, 1940 UNITED STATES.

noon m'ron Walter R. Schlage, San Francisco, Calif., assignor to SchlageLock Company, San Francisco, Calif., a corporation of CaliforniaApplication June 18, 1937, Serial No. 145,933

1 Claim. (01. 292-109) This invention relates to door latches, and

especially to improvements in the type of latch disclosed in my PatentNo. 2,062,766, entitled "Door lock, issued December 1, 1936. The objectof the present invention is generally to improve and simplify theconstruction and operation of door latches, to provide a latchmechanism, and an improved housing therefor. in which the latch bolt issecured to a retractor plate which is actuated by one or another or bothof a pair of telescoping spindles, and in which the retractor platefunctions to dog or secure the spindles against endwise removal from thehousing; to provide means actuated from the exterior of the door forreleasing the spindles with relation to the retractor plate; and,further and more specifically stated, to mount a springactuated pawl onthe retractor plate, which engages a stop on the housing so as to limitthe movement of the retractor plate. thereby main: taining an interlockbetween the retractor plate and spindles, said latch being depressibleby an implement inserted from the exterior of the door or housing topermit further movement of the retractor plate and thereby release ofthe interlock formed between the retractor plate and spindles.

The invention is shown by way of illustration in the accompanyingdrawings in which- Fig, 1 is a horizontal central section taken throughthe stile of a hollow metal door, said section showing the latchhousing, the latch bolt, the retractor plate and the spindles wherebythe retractor plate is actuated;

Figs. 2 and 3 are perspective views of the plate, the latch bolt securedthereto, and the depressible latch carried by the retractor plate;

Fig. 'I is a section in side elevation taken on the line VIL-VII of Fig.1, said section showing the retractor'plate in interlocked position withrelation to the spindles;

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. 7, showing the retractor plate movedto a position where the spindles are released; I

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the latchhousing and mechanism is installed in a rim lock; and

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the spindles showing them interlocked tofunction as a single spindle.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 6,inclusive, A and B indi-= cate the opposite faces of the stile of ahollow metal door, and C the front edge thereof. Formed in the faces Aand B are openings which are provided for the reception of spindlebearings, as will hereinafter appear, and formed in the iront edge C isan opening through which the lock housing, generally indicated at D inFig, 5, is adapted to be inserted.

The housing shown in Fig. 5 is rectangular in shape, and consists of topand bottom plates 5 and 6 which are connected by front and rearend-plates 1 and 8. Extending through an opening formed in the frontplate I of the housing is a latch bolt 9, and secured to the inner endthereof is a retractor plate generally indicated at E (see Fig. 6). Thefront end of the retractor plate is supported and guided by the latchbolt 9 which extends through the opening in the front plate 1, while therear end is supported and guided by a pair of lugs lli-lll extendingthrough slots or guideways ll-ll formed in the top and bottom plates l5and 6 of the housing. n the rear end of the rectractor plate is across-bar l2, and formed in front thereof is an opening I3 which isprovided for the reception of the rollback portions 15 and iii of a pairof telescoping spindles. These rollback portions are formed in thespindles by slotting them transversely, and the width of the slots thusformed is such as to permitthe spindles to straddle the cross-bar l2 ofthe retractorplate. The spindles proper are indicated at IT and I8, andeach is provided with-a permanently attached knob, said knobs beingshown at Ma and Illa. Secured to opposite sides of the housing D (seeFigs. 1 and are plates l9l9, and formed in each plate is a centralopening-which is screw-threaded as shown at 20. These threaded openingsserve the function of receiving and retaining spindle bearings such asshown at 2| and 22. The inner ends of the spindle bearings are threadedto screw into the openings 20 of the plates l9, and are in this mannersecured. .The spindle bearings 2i and 22 are ,of a diameter to receivethe larger or exterior spindle l8. This spindle in turn forms a bearingfor the spindle H which extends substantialiy through it.

On the forward end of the retractor plate E (see Figs. 6, '7 and 8) ispivotally mounted as at 24 a pawl 25, which is normally held in a raisedor projected position by means of a spring 26. This pawl projects into aslot 21 formed in the upper plate 5 of the latch housing, and as suchengages the rear end 210. of the slot, when the latch bolt 9 is fullyretracted or depressed. This limited movement is the normal movementimparted to the retractor plate by means of the rollback portions l5 andN5 of the respective spindles, said movementbeing suflicient, as alreadystated, to cause complete retraction of the latch bolt, and therebyallow opening of the door. During normal movement, the crossbar I! ofthe retractor plate remains in the together with the cross-bar. i2, ismoved to the position shown inFig. 8, the bar it will move out oi thetransverse slots of the respective spindles, and the spindles may thenbe freely removed in an endwise direction. This additional movement ofthe retractor plate and cross-bar is imparted through a pin or rod 3@inserted through a pinhole opening 3| formed in the front plate l of thehousing. When the pin is inserted it engages the inclined upper face ofthe pawl and depresses the same. A further insertion of the pin or rodcauses it to engage a shoulder 32 formed in the retractor plate, andcontinued insertion forces the retractor plate rearwardly until itfinally assumes the position shown in Fig. 8. Both spindles will then befully released, and each may be removed. To re-insert the spindles thesame operation will be necessary, v

and when they are inserted, and the transverse slots are brought intoalignment with the bar 02, then the pin to may be removed, and theretractor will immediately be projected to assume the position shown inFig. 7, due to the tension or the springs 33 interposed between the barit and the rear plate t of the housing.

To install a lock of this character, the loci: housing is insertedbetween the opposite faces .A and B of the stile through an openingformed in the edge or face C of the stile. The housing is held in thisposition until the two spindle bearings 29 and 22 are inserted andscrewed into place, and when this is accomplished, the housing is fullysecured, as it is supported at the rear end by the spindle bearings 2|and 22 and at the front end by the opening through which it is inserted.Any suitable implement, such as the pin at, is now inserted to depressthe pawl 25, and to move the retractor plate to its rearmost position,or that shown in Fig. 8. The spindle i8 is then inserted, and thereafterthe smaller or telescoping spindle ii. The spindles are turned by meansof their respective knobs until their transverse slots align with thecross-bar i2, and when this is done the pin it is retracted, and aninterlock is immediately formed between the spindles and the retractorplate, which will be pushed forwardly by the springs 33. g this forwardmovement the bar 92 enters the transverse slots of the respectivespindles and the bolt 9 will at the same time assume a projectedposition as shown in Fig. 1. After installation, the latch will operatein the ordinary manner; thus, rotation of either knob will causerotation of the connected spindle, the rollback portions i5 and it willengage the front face of the bar l2, and as the spindle or spindles arerotated, the bar, the retractor plate and the latch will moverearwardly, said rearward movement being limited by the pawl 25 when itengages the shoulder the, the movement being under all conditionssufdcient to permit complete etraction oi the latch.

While the "tore disclosed is particularly intended for hollow metaldoor, it may obviously be employed in connection with wooden doors andthe like. a wooden door be mortised to receive housing D; also it mayeinplayed as a rim loch by inserting in a housing such as shown in 9.

anodes? It is well known that door lmobs are usually secured to spindlesby screws and like means, and

that they rattle loose and the mobs rail of! from time to time. Suchscrews may be entirely eliminated in the structure here disclosed, as,due to the fact that the spindles themselves are adapted to be removedfrom the housing, it permits permanent fastening oi the knobs to theouter ends or the spindles by welding, soldering, pinning, or othersuitable. means. By constructing the latch housing as shown in Fig. 5,it becomes possible to install it either in hollow metal doors, in rimlooks or in wooden doors, and furthermore it is possible to secure thespindle bear-' ings direct to the housing, due to the Zact that theplates i9 form a part of the housing, and the spindle bearings form athreaded connection therewith. By securing the housing within the doorby means of the spindle bearings, all rastoning screws are entirelyeliminated, and removal or insertion of the lock is controlled entirelyby a manipulation of an implement such as a pin or rod (see Fig. 8).

While this and otherieatures of the inven-" tion have been more or lessspecifically described.

I wish it understood that changes may be re-v sorted to within the scopeof the appended claims, and that the materials and finish of the severalparts employed may be such as the judgment or experience of themanufacturer may dictate.

When two telescoping spindles are employed as here illustrated, they maybe independently operated or rotated, or the spindles may be interlookedas shown in Fig. 10 so as to rotate in unison as a single spindle, suchinterlocking-between the spindles being accomplished by merely forming anotch 50 in the inner end of the outer spindle into which extends a lug5i forming a part of the inner spindle. Thistype of interlock leaves therespective spindles free for endwise removal when the interlock betweenthem and the retractor is released, thus making it possible to employpermanently secured knobs whether the spindles function independently ofeach other or as asingle rigid spindle.

I claim: 1

In a latch mechanism of the character described a housing comprising anouter end memher and a pair of connected rearwardly extending arms, saidend member and arms being constructed of fiat material and forming aU-shaped housing, said arms being slotted adjacent their rear ends, andthe outer end member having an opening formed therein, a latch boltextending through the, opening and guided therein, a retractor plateextending rearwardly between the arms, lugs on said plate extending intothe slots formed in the arms, to guide and support the rear end of theretractor plate, said plate being secured at its'forward end to thelatch bolt and being supported and guided thereby; a pawl disposedadjacent the front end of the retractor plate, said pawl straddling the,upper edge and extending longitudinally of the retractor plate, apivotal connection between the forward end of the pawl and the retractorplate, a spring between the opposite end of the pawl and the retractorplate, and a shoulder formed on one of the arms of the housing, withwhich the pawl normally engages to limit rearward movement of theretractor plate.

WAL'IER. R. SCHLAGE.

